After Maxime Saada, the boss of Canal+, decided on Sunday to boycott the 600 cinema professionals who signed a manifesto against Vincent Bolloré, the sector, caught between a rock and a hard place, is in a quandary.
Ever since the festival kicked off last Tuesday and a manifesto signed by over 600 cinema professionals denouncing the far-right billionaire Vincent Bolloré’s grip on the ecosystem of the seventh art was published in Libération, a new tradition has crept into the dark Cannes theaters: ceasing all applause when the Canal+ logo appears on the big screen. This has intensified in recent hours, especially since the Saturday night screening of Quentin Dupieux’s “Full Phil” at a midnight screening. More radical.
This move has evidently upset Maxime Saada, the head of Canal+, who responded on Sunday by announcing that he will simply boycott all the signatories of the manifesto. So, farewell to Juliette Binoche, Jean-Pascal Zadi, Raymond Depardon, Zita Hanrot, Samuel Kircher, and Swann Arlaud who signed the document.
It is worth noting that Vincent Bolloré is the key shareholder of Canal+, the top financier of French cinema by far. Between 2025 and 2027, the group allocates around 160 million euros per year to French cinema, funding both major productions and auteur films. Additionally, the group led by Saada acquired 34% of the capital of UGC last year, the third-largest cinema chain in France, and plans to acquire 100% by 2028.
Context: The conflict arises from a manifesto signed by over 600 cinema professionals denouncing Vincent Bolloré’s influence on French cinema, which has led to a boycott by Canal+. Fact Check: Vincent Bolloré is indeed a major shareholder in Canal+ and a key player in French cinema financing.
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